Built-up condenser plate



April 3- w. H. CAMPBELL ET AL 1,905,264

- BUILT-UP CONDENSER .PLATE Filed Nov. 26, 1930 l INVENTO R5. Waller H Campbd;

ATTRNEY Patented Apr.' 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTmt H. CAMPBELL OF SPRINGFIELD, AND WILLIAM C. ELLSWORTH AND CARL J. MADSEN, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA BUILT-UP CONDENSER PLATE Application filed November 26, 1930. Serial No. 498,882.

Our invention relates to condensers and particularly to the construction of condenser plates for use in high-power radio transmitters.

High-voltage air condensers must be constructed of plates having edges of large radius to prevent concentrated fields which would result in flashovers. In order to obtain the desired thickness of the plate, it has been the practice to shrink circular plates into a pipe frame which has a recess milled therein to receive the plate edges. These circular condenser plates are expen- 'sive, hard to mount and occupy too much plates to avoid concentrated fields.

space.

The circular plates take up too much space, both because the plate area of the corners is lost and because the mounting lugs take up considerable space. Furthermore, in any condenser plate of this type, the pipe frame extends beyond the plate surface, and the plates must be spaced apart a greater distance than would otherwise be necessary, to prevent flashover.

Solid plates are not practical because they are heavy, costly and hard to obtain. They cannot readily be obtainedin large sizes, such as from six feet to ten feet square.

. The ideal shape of a condenser plate would be such as to permit a spacing between plates which would progressivel increase from the centers to the edges 0 the This condition is approached by employing plates havin such large areas that t 9 concentration 0% the fields at the edges of the plates is reduced.

An object of our invention is to provide a high-Volta c air condenser of large capacity which sfiall be comparatively light in weight, easily manufactured and occupy less space than high-voltage condensers formerly employed.

More specifically, an object of our invention is to dprovide an im roved construction for a con enser plate 0 largearea.

In practicing our invention,-in its referred form, we construct a condenser p ate of two corrugated metal sheets which are spaced apart by the corrugations. A rounded metallic member is positioned between i the edges of the corrugated sheets to prevent sparkover.

Other features and advantages of our invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a plan viewof two condenser plates constructed in accordance with our invention and positioned one above the other to form a two-plate condenser,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1,

Fig, 4 is a plan view of a modified form of condenser plate constructed in accordance withour invention, and

Fig. 5 is an enlar ed sectional view taken on the line V-V 0 Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the upper condenser plate 10 comprises a corrugated metallic sheet 11 and a second corrugated metallic sheet 12 which is placed with its corrugations at right. angles to the corrugations in the plate 11. The area of the plates 11 and 12 adjacent to the edges is uncorrugated so that four metallic members.

13, each having a rounded edge, may be inserted between the plates 11 and 12. as illustrated. At each corner of the condenser plate 10 is inserted a metallic block 18 which has its outer edges rounded, In this way, a. thick plate having a rounded edge of comparatively large radius is formed.

The lower condenser plate 14 is constructed in the same manner as the upper plate 10. In practice, as many as sixty or more condenser plates may be employed, -mounted one above another and supported in any suit able manner. For example, the plurality of plates, connected, in parallel, to the lower plate 14, may be supported by a metal rod 15 at each corner. The rods 15 extend through holes 16 and serve both as supports and as means for connecting the plates in paralleL' In order to make the condenser plate more rugged, the two corrugated plates 11 and 12 are preferably riveted together or spot welded at the points 17 where the corrugations come into contact, as shown in Fig. 3.

The condenser plate illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 comprises a metal pipe 20 bent to form a rectangular frame. The frame is strengthened by means of cross members 21.

A sheet of thin metal 22, such as skin aluminum, is attached to each side of the frame by means of wedges 23 driven into a slot in the ipe 20 which extends the full length of tiie pipe.

Themetal sheets 22 are further secured to the frame by fastening them to the cross members by spot welding or the like, as indicated at the points 24.

Since various other modifications may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, we desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A condenser plate comprising two metallic plates having depressions therein, said metallic plates being positioned with the depressions of one metallic plate in contact with the depressions of the other metallic plate, and a rounded conducting surface connecting the edges of said metallic plates.

2. A condenser plate comprising two corrugated metallic plates positioned with their corrugations at an angle to, and in contact with, each other.

3. A condenser plate comprising two corrugated metallic plates positioned with their corrugations at ri ht angles to, and in con-' tact with, each 0t er.

4. A condenser plate comprising two corrugated metallic plates positioned with their corrugations at an angle to, and in contact with, eachother, said plates having their edges electrically connected by a surface which forms a rounded edge for the condenser plate.

5. A condenser plate comprising two cor rugated metallic plates which have flat portions adjacentthe edges of. said plates, said plates being positioned with their corrugations at an angle to, and in contact with, each other and having their edges electrically connected by a surface which forms a rounded edge for the condenser plate.

6. A condenser plate comprising two corrugated metallic plates positioned with their corrugations at an angle to, and in contact with, each other, said plates being mechanically connected at the points where said corru ations come into contact with each other.

n testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 17 day of November, 1930.

WALTER H. CAMPBELL. WILLIAM C. ELLSWORTH. CARL J. MADSEN. 

